Editor’s note: Letter edited for length and clarity
Enough is enough – yet another horrible, unprovoked pitbull attack in Yaletown! Last Sunday, a five-month-old puppy was torn to bits by an unmuzzled, unleashed pitbull.
While it is known that all dogs can bite, pitbulls have a greater propensity for unprovoked attack than most other breeds. It’s not the dogs’ fault – they were specifically bred for fighting. The conditions they are brought up in and the training they go through is cruel and horrific – just look at the Michael Vick case. Then, people adopt them as pets and parade them around an unsuspecting public.
Now I know that some pitbull owners and all the bloggers on HugABull.com will be up in arms about this, but they, most of all, should be upset at their irresponsible fellow dog owners: you should be the ones championing stricter laws on this breed, you should be the ones writing this letter!
We should now follow the example of cities like Toronto and Winnipeg and ban vicious breeds from our cities. All breeding of pitbulls should cease – how else can the inherent brutality be bred out of them? The existing ones should be muzzled and leashed at all times and owners should be extremely fined for non-compliance – this is the least that should be done to protect the public.
I’m not suggesting a cull, but ANY dog that attacks an innocent should be put down – no second chances. I am not, however, against a cull on ignorant dog owners – and they are legion in this city. Here in Yaletown, where people literally are living on top of each other, it is common to find poop and bags of poop five times a day on the streets and you are taking your life in your hands if you ask owners to pick it up.
If you opt to adopt a dangerous weapon as a pet, you should be prepared to face the consequences when the dog murders or maims another dog or person. Are you prepared to be extremely financially punished or jailed when the dog misbehaves? Once again, it’s bad humans causing the trouble, not the dogs. Just put yourselves in the shoes of that woman who watched her beloved puppy be torn to shreds – think about how you would feel to have your face bitten off. Do that before you attempt to defend the breed.
–Valerie Smith, Yaletown resident
• All rants and raves are the opinion of the individual and do not reflect the opinions of Westender. The editor reserves the right to edit for clarity and brevity, so please keep it short and (bitter)sweet. Email your rant or rave to [email protected]
